


Being Home

by nalaa



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-23
Packaged: 2018-01-02 02:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nalaa/pseuds/nalaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>She looked truly happy with her family there and she looked absolutely adorable holding the little guy in one arm while half hugging the girl with the other.</i><br/>The McHales fly to New York to spend Thanksgiving with Mac.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, my first Newsroom story. 
> 
> We don't know a thing about Mac's family so I created my own version.
> 
> Mac's father is Sir Alexander McHale, married to Elizabeth McHale. They had tho children, Tom (Thomas) McHale and Mackenzie McHale (five years younger than her brother). Tom is married to Sarah and they have two kids: Emily (3) and David (1).
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it :)

It was a cold November's Saturday morning and Mackenzie didn't know why the hell she was walking into an empty newsroom at 8 a.m. She had been woken up early by a phone call and, after a long hour on the phone with her mother, she decided to take advantage of the early hours and go do some work. As she suspected, the room was empty and, without noticing it, she sighed in relief: she wasn't really in the mood to talk.

 

Resigned, she stepped into her office, balancing her purse, her pad and her venti Starbucks latte while trying to switch on the lights. She left everything on her desk before taking off her coat and throwing it onto one of the chairs in front of her desk. Then, she turned on her computer and sat down on her chair, taking a deep breath. She spent two minutes searching for her reading glasses and, after internally admitting her clumsiness of forgetting them at home, she opened one of the drawers under her desk to reach for her spare ones.

 

Between small sips of her latte and deep sighs, she read her work related emails and answered the ones she absolutely had to, leaving the rest for Monday morning. Then, she switched to her personal account and, after a quick look, Mac smiled. She had an email from her three-years-old niece. She knew that it was her brother's doing but she smiled anyway. She read it, enjoying the stories little Emily shared with her. Once she finished, she noticed a file attached so she quickly opened it. The picture made her heart melt: Emily and her little brother Daniel were sitting on their couch holding a sign that read 'We love you, Auntie Mac!'. Mackenzie, overjoyed, printed it and took an small bit of tape from the tape dispenser on her desk to hang it up next to the other ones she had on the board behind her desk.

 

Mac turned her chair around to look at the pictures. She stared at them, in deep thought. She loved her job, she loved New York, but she also missed her family and, on certain days, she wished she was with them in London and not sitting alone, in her office, at the other side of the Atlantic ocean. _Thank God we have Skype_ , Mac thought.

 

Tired of feeling sorry for herself, she broke her chain of thought and tried to return to her work but her mind kept wandering. After half an hour reading the same page of a memo without getting a thing, she decided to take a break. She took another sip of her coffee and frowned in disgust after realizing it had gone cold. She threw it into the trash can and stood up, decided to get another one.

 

"I need a cigarette first." Mac said out loud. She had stopped smoking a few years ago but, from time to time, she liked to occasionally indulge herself. She rummaged through her purse, the drawers and the cabinets in her office but she didn't find the packed of Marlboro Lights she thought she had hidden there, somewhere. Frustrated, she grabbed her ACN mug and stormed out of her office. She went to the small kitchen to make herself another coffee while she thought where she could get the cigarette she wanted. Something clicked on her mind: Will always kept an spare packet in his office. Smiling proudly at herself, she picked up her newly made coffee and went to Will's office.

 

She didn't bother to turn on the lights, she went directly to open the second drawer of his desk and, with a satisfied grin, she stole a cigarette and his lighter. For a moment, she thought of going to the terrace to smoke it but she changed her mind and made herself comfortable on his chair, lifting her legs onto his desk and reclining on his chair. Will smoked inside all the time so nobody would know the difference.

 

Mac put the cigarette between her lips and lighted it up, closing her eyes and taking a long drag before setting it between her fingers. With her other hand, she brought the mug to her lips and drank almost half of the coffee inside. She left her mug on the desk and grabbed her Blackberry from the front pocket of her jeans. Slowly, she scrolled down through the News Feed on her twitter account looking for something interesting, but she found nothing.  Frustrated, she threw the Blackberry onto Will's desk and closed her eyes, determined to enjoy her cigarette before she had to go back her office and do something useful.

 

Mac was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the door being opened, neither she saw Will standing there, a mix of confusion and amusement written on his face.

 

"I thought you had your own office." Will said. Startled, Mac nearly jumped out of the chair; her legs fell to the floor and she almost burned herself when the cigarette fell on her jeans before ending on the carpeted floor. She quickly recovered it and took another drag before stubbing it out.

"You scared me!" She exclaimed, making Will laugh out loud.

"Well, that's what happens when you sneak into my office and steal my cigarettes." Will replied, grinning. "Did you burn my carpet?"

"No, and it would have been your fault, Mister."

 

Mac made no attempt to get up from his chair so Will took off his coat and, after hanging it, sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

 

"What are you doing here?" Mac asked once he was seated.

"Couldn't sleep." He told her. "And you?"

"My mother forgot about the fucking time difference, again, and woke me up at six thirty. I couldn't go back to sleep so here I am." Mac explained.

"Are they alright?"

"Yeah." She quickly replied. "She called, over excited, to tell me that they, along with my brother and his family, are coming for Thanksgiving."

"They don't celebrate Thanksgiving." Will said, confused.

"That's what I told her!" Mac exclaimed again. "But you know my mother, any festive event is good to organize a family reunion."

"Tell them to stop by. It would be nice to see them again." He said, surprising her.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Ok."

 

They fell into an awkward silence, Will was being nice and Mac wasn't sure what to do. He was staring at her and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. With a big gulp, she finished her coffee and stood up.

 

"I'm gonna do some work." Mac said.

"Wanna go over some things for next week?" Will asked, trying to stop her plan of returning to her office. He enjoyed her company, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.

"Oh." She hesitated. "Ok. Do you have your copy here?"

"I do."

"Perfect." Mac replied, sitting down again on his chair and smiling at him.

"Are you gonna let me sit on my chair?" He asked, teasing her.

"No, it's comfy." She teased him back.

 

Giving up, he opened his briefcase, took out some files and they began to work.


	2. Chapter 2

The day had arrived and Mackenzie was nervous: her family was scheduled to arrive that afternoon and her nervousness was driving everybody crazy. They had told her that, after landing in JFK, they would swing by the brownstone to leave their luggage and they would meet her after the show was over. She didn't mind them picking her up at work, she was scared of Will meeting them again after almost four years.

 

In the control room, she looked at her watch for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes, wondering if they were already in the newsroom waiting for her. The show was on its last commercial break so everything would be over soon.

 

The show had been running smoothly but, five minutes to the end, everything had gone to hell. Mac's constant nagging had made Will take off his earpiece to stop her chatter on his ear, thing that made Mac go crazy. Once the show was over, she saw Will leave the studio as fast as he could. She wanted to follow him to give him a piece of her mind but she had to stay behind in the control room to straighten some things with team. When everything was fixed, she wished the guys a happy Thanksgiving while they scurried out of the room, wanting to be as far as they could when she exploded.

 

After gathering her things, she left the control room and walked to her newsroom. She opened the doors and looked around trying to find Will. When she didn't see him, she threw her things onto a nearby desk. "WHERE THE HELL IS THAT FUCKING IDIOT?" She yelled, startling the remaining staff. "WILL! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! RIGHT NOW!" She continued, knowing he had to be there, somewhere.

 

When someone shyly pointed to her office, she grabbed her things and stormed there. She was about to scream again but the words died in her mouth when a little pair of arms encircled her legs. She looked down and everything that she had wanted to yell at Will vanished when she saw her niece. Mac left her things on a chair and knelt down to hug little Emily before scooping her into her arms and covering her with kisses, making the child laugh delightfully. Her brother Tom quickly stepped in to give his sister a bear hug and took Emily from Mac's arms so she could hug her parents.

 

Finally, Mac hugged her sister-in-law and picked her one-year-old nephew. "Hello there, cutie-pie! Look how much have you grown!" Mac said in a silly voice while kissing little David's cheek.

 

She forgot that Will was there while she made small talk with her family. Will took advantage of that to study her: she looked truly happy with her family there and she looked absolutely adorable holding the little guy in one arm while half hugging the girl with the other. His mind wandered to years ago: if he hadn't broke up with her maybe she would be holding their son or daughter, not her nephew. He quickly erased that thought, thinking of maybes made him feel sad and made him want to drink a whole bottle of scotch.

 

The McHale family made a cute picture: famous rich and important father married to an equal important and beautiful mother with two beautiful successful children, one of them with a perfect family with him. He knew Mac had always been like the black sheep of the family: nearly forty, unmarried, childless, with an amazing career and a successful job, far from home and her family, far from the life her mother wanted for her, and he admired her for that.

 

He snapped back into reality when he heard Mac's father reprimand her for the colorful language she had used a few minutes ago. Will tried to defend her but Mac spoke before he could.

 

"He deserved it." She told her father before turning to look at him. "Be grateful that they're here or you would be hearing a very pissed EP throwing profanities at you."

"We raised you better than that, Mackenzie." Her mother told her.

"Yeah, well, try working with him and you'd understand me." Mac replied. "Don't you think I'm gonna forget, mister." She told Will. "We'll talk on Monday."

"I can't wait." Will murmured sarcastically. Tom heard him and snorted, earning a death glare from his sister.

 

Mrs. McHale, wanting to lighten the mood around the room, approached Will and patted his arm. "Why don't you join us for dinner?"

"Oh, no, but thank you, Elizabeth." Will quickly replied. "It's family time." He said, smiling kindly at her.

"But you'll think about what I told you?"

"Of course." He assured her.

"Well, then, let's go." Sir McHale said. "I made reservations and we'll be late."

 

Everybody put their coats on while Mac gathered her things and got ready. Then, she went to stand in front of Will and, out of the blue, she kissed his cheek, surprising him.

 

"Happy Thanksgiving, Billy." She whispered next to his ear.

"Happy Thanksgiving." He said, too astonished to say anything more.

 

One by one, Mac's family said their goodbyes and left her office. Mac was the last to leave. She smiled shyly at him before following her family towards the elevators. Will stood there, for a few seconds, a grin appearing on his face, before he also left the room and walked to his office.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Mac arrived at her parents house at noon and used her key to open the front door.

 

"I'm hoooooooome!" She said out loud when nobody greeted her.

"We can hear you, Mackenzie, there's no need to yell." Elizabeth, her mother, reprimanded her from the dinning room's door.

"Where's everybody?" Mac asked her mother after kissing her cheek.

"Tom and Sarah took the kids to the park."

"And Daddy?" She asked again while hanging up her coat.

"Reading, in the den."

"I'll go say hi." Mac told her mother.

"Do you want some tea?" Elizabeth kindly asked.

"Please."

 

With an smile, Mac took the hallway towards the den. She hadn't take three steps when her mother stopped her.

 

"Are you planning to wear this tonight?" She said, pointing to the designer jeans, red blouse and knee-high black high-heeled leather boots her daughter was wearing.

"It's a family dinner!" Mac exclaimed. "Why the hell do I have to dress up?"

 

Elizabeth, knowing she wouldn't win the argument, ignored her daughter's reply and went to the kitchen. Smiling proudly to herself, Mac walked the rest of the hallway to the den. She found her father sitting on the couch, with his glasses perched on the end of his nose and reading the newspaper. She quickly left her purse on an armchair and plopped down on the couch next to her father, lifting her legs and resting her feet on the coffee table, disturbing his reading and earning a short disapproving glare.

 

"Hi Daddy!" Mac said before kissing his cheek.

Alexander had to smile at his daughter's antics, she always managed to bring an smile to his face. "Hi sweetie." He replied, returning the kiss. "I heard you bickering with your mother."

"It wasn't my fault." She shrugged.

"Yes, sure." Alexander told his daughter. "You two are too much alike."

"Not my fault either." Mac quickly said making his father laugh out loud.

"Oh, Mac, I missed you." He said while embracing her with one of his arms, tucking her into his side.

"Me too." She replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

 

Mac loved the way his father said her name, nobody did it like him. Her mother always called her Mackenzie because she hated any kind of monicker or nickname but, sometimes, terms of endearment like darling escaped her mouth. Her father usually called her Mac, or sweetie, except if he was really mad at her; then, he usually used her full name. Her brother had a big range of names that he used to annoy her, from calling her Mackie when she called her Tommy to things like little monster, MacMac or her favorite: M. She also loved the way her niece said Auntie Kenzie with her cute high pitched voice.

 

Sitting there, in the den, made her remember all the years she had spent in that same house growing up and, in moments like that one, she regretted living so far away from her family even if sometimes her mother annoyed her or her brother tried to fix her life. Mac sighed deeply and looked at her father.

 

"What?" He asked, noticing the somber look in her eyes.

"Nothing." She quickly replied, smiling slightly. "I'm just glad that you're here."

 

Before Alexander could say anything, his wife entered the room carrying a tray with the teapot and three teacups.

 

"Feet off the table, Mackenzie." Elizabeth told her, nudging Mac's legs with her own. Mac complied, reluctantly, and Elizabeth left the tray on the coffee table. She served the tea and gave the cups to her husband and daughter before sitting down on the armchair. Mac only had time to take one sip from her cup before her mother began to speak.

 

"Can you believe your daughter?" She asked her husband.

"Lizzie." He warned her.

"What the hell did I do now? I've been sitting here for the past ten minutes!" Mac exclaimed, shocked.

"She has the intention to wear these to dinner." Elizabeth explained, pointing to Mac's clothes.

"You said casual attire. This is casual." Mac calmly replied, sipping her tea.

"You know what your mother means when she says casual, Mackenzie." Alexander told her daughter.

"And you two understand that I'm not fifteen anymore, right?" Mac told her parents, slightly annoyed.

"Mackenzie." Her father warned her. He loved her daughter and his wife dearly but he also knew how they liked to get on each other nerves.

"I brought my clothes and my bag two days ago, ok? They're upstairs, in my room." Mac finally told them. Then, she stood up with the cup on her hand and grabbed her purse. "I'll be outside."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just realized that I never put this story in its appropiate temporal context. I decided to place it in November 2011. I'll ignore the fact that Will dated Nina for a few months. In my head, they only had a very (very, very, very) short fling.
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos received :)

When Tom got home with his family, he noticed his sister's coat hanging next to the others but he didn't see her. Making a mental note to find her, he helped his wife with their children and took the food they had picked up for lunch to the kitchen. He found his parents there, sharing a glass of wine and a plate of appetizers.

 

"Did you have a good walk, son?" Alexander asked when he saw him.

"Yeah." Tom answered. "Where's M?"

"Backyard." Elizabeth simply said.

"I'll be right back." Tom told them.

 

He found his wife on his way outside and explained where he was going. Emily jumped at the chance to go greet her aunt but Sarah, knowing her mother and sister-in-law, convinced her daughter to go with her and to the kitchen. After a quick peck on the lips and a promise to get them when lunch was ready, she let her husband go find his sister.

 

Tom opened the backyard's door, stepped outside and shivered. After a quick scan, he located his sister sitting down on the swing with her favorite afghan covering her shoulders. Hey eyes were closed. She noticed his approach but didn't open them. Tom sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

 

"You know, Dad is going to kill you if he sees you smoking." Tom teased her.

"Oh, please. Not you too." Mac groaned, letting her head fall onto his shoulder and hiding her face on his neck. "I'm a grown woman."

"Fuck Mac!" He squealed. "Your nose is like fucking ice!"

 

Mac giggled and rubbed her cold nose along his neck while he tried to avoid her. They ended laughing like little kids. Tom took the ashtray resting on her legs and left in on the swing, next to him, that way Mac could curl into his side and they could share the afghan.

 

Once they were covered, he extended his hand towards her. "Share." Tom said.

"Get your own cigarettes, T." Mac replied before taking a drag and keeping the cigarette as far as she could from her brother.

"Share or I'll tell Mum what happened to that ugly vase she loved."

"You wouldn't dare. It's been almost a year."

"Be grateful that your niece knows how to keep a secret."

 

With her free hand, Mac poked Tom's ribs. "Ouch! That hurt!" Tom complained.

"Don't be such a baby." Mac mocked him before giving him the cigarette.

"How long have you been here?" Tom asked before taking a drag.

"Here at home or here in the backyard?"

"Both."

"Almost an hour since I arrived, more than twenty minutes outside." She answered.

"Wow. Must be a record." He teased her.

"Mum was annoying me and then Dad began talking with his low sternly voice. You know how fucked up things are in my life right now, Tom, I don't need my parents treating me like I'm a fucking misbehaving teenager."

"I know but they don't so, to them, you're just acting like an spoiled brat."

"Fuck you." Mac told him, stealing the cigarette from his hand and inhaling deeply its smoke.

"Hey." He reprimanded her. "You always counted on me to tell you the truth. I won't start lying to you right now." Tom said. "You're struggling, you are not happy, yet you're putting a brave front and an smile on you face for their sake, even when you know they're aware of what you're doing. But you also know they provably won't call you on it because they just want to spend a nice weekend with their daughter, who lives across the Atlantic and who they miss terribly. Mum loves you, M, unconditionally. You're always on each other's throats when you're together in the same room because you two are too alike, but then, when she's back in London and you're here in New York, you can't wait to see each other again. You're your mother's daughter: you're bossy, you like to curse and you like to yell, you're a bit crazy and have an strange passion for expensive shoes."

 

Mac didn't reply right away; first, she had to assimilate everything her brother had told her. While Tom hugged her even more tightly, she continued smoking her cigarette and thinking about what Tom had just said. Her thoughts were interrupted when little Emily opened the door and came running to them. Mac quickly stubbed the cigarette, just in time to pick up her niece when she jumped onto her lap. Mac wrapped her arms around her and kissed the top of her head while Emily snuggled under the afghan.

 

"Hi pumpkin." Mac said.

"Grandma says lunch is ready." Emily told them.

"We better go before she comes looking for us." Mac whispered conspirationaly to her niece, making her giggle.

 

Tom looked at them and smiled warmly. He loved to watch Mac and Emily together, the deep love they shared for each other was sometimes overwhelming. Mac stood up and let Emily stand on the swing so she could jump on her back and get a piggy-back ride inside. Tom stood up too and grabbed his sister's hand.

 

"Hey, listen to me." He told her, squeezing her hand and raising her chin with his free one. "Relax and enjoy these few days together. Go along with Mum's crazy details over dinner, you know she has been planing this for weeks. Go shopping with her, grab the kids and take them someplace, do something different. Don't let whatever is happening to you right know prevent you from having a great time, ok?" Tom asked, smiling.

"Ok." Mac replied, smiling back at him.

 

Mac pulled him into an emotional embrace. It was a bit difficult with Emily perched on her back, but they managed it. Afterwards, when they were walking to the door, hand in hand,  Elizabeth opened it and showed her head.

 

"You!" She lovingly shouted to them. "Get you asses inside before I have to reheat our meal again!"

 

Tom and Mackenzie looked at each other and bursted out laughing, remembering thousands of other times that their mother had shouted those same words at them. Still laughing, they made their way inside to have lunch with the rest of their family.


	4. Chapter 4

After a wonderful family lunch, the McHales decided to watch a movie together. They enjoyed an old movie they all loved and had a great time being together again. Once it was over, the adults in the room looked at Mac and smiled: she had fallen asleep during the film with little David laying on her chest and Emily snuggled into her side. Tom quickly grabbed his phone, took a picture and sent it to her sister. The vibration on her pocket woke her up. She tried to get her Blackberry without waking up the little ones but it was impossible; David stirred in her chest and opened his eyes. He looked around, confused, until he saw his aunt's face. Mac softly kissed his head and made silly faces at him. The boy's giggling woke up his sister, who hid her face behind her arm. Everybody laughed at the girl's antics while she tried to go back to sleep.

 

Alexander got up and tickled Emily's sides. "Wake up, sweetie."

 

Emily opened her eyes to look at her grandfather. Then, she extended her arms, demanding to be picked up. Her grandfather quickly complied and took her into his arms. Mac, still holding David, rose to a sitting position on the couch and sat her nephew on her lap, laying his back on her belly and putting her arms around his little body to hold him in place.

 

"Had a good nap?" Tom teased her.

"Yeah." Mac yawned. "I needed it."

"You work too much." Elizabeth told her daughter.

"Provably." Mac answered, surprising everybody. It wasn't like her to acknowledge it, she usually snapped back at her mother, telling her she was old enough to take care of herself. Tom smiled, knowing that the talk he had earlier with her sister was having some effect.

Before her mother-in-law could continue, Sarah got up from her seat and caressed Tom's shoulders. "I'm going to make some tea. Anybody wants a cup?" She asked. Everybody nodded. After giving her husband a peck on the lips, she left the room.

"We should begin to get ready. The food will be here in an hour and we have to set everything up." Lizzie said.

"Relax, dear." Alexander told her. "We have time and it's not like anybody will be waiting."

Elizabeth just smiled at him.

 

After a warm cup of tea, everybody went to their rooms to get ready. The firsts ones to finish were Mac and her father, closely followed by Elizabeth. Sarah and Tom took longer because they had to help the kids.

 

While her parents set up the table, Mac prepared everything in the kitchen: the food would arrive any minute. When the doorbell rang, she wiped her hands with a dishtowel and left the kitchen towards the entrance. The doorbell rang again and Elizabeth shouted from the dinning room. "Mackenzie! Open the door, please. It must be the food."

 

Mac, as quickly as her heels let her, walked to the door and opened it without checking who it was. She took an step back, surprised when she saw a man wearing a nice suit instead of a delivery boy. She raised her eyes and a gasp escaped her mouth.

 

"What are you doing here?" Mac asked.

"Your mother invited me."

"Of course! And she clearly forgot to tell me!" Mac exclaimed.

 

At that precise moment, Elizabeth appeared behind her daughter and grinned at their guest. "William!" She nearly squealed. "I'm glad that you decided to come."

"Thanks for inviting me." Will warmly replied.

"Mackenzie! Let the poor man in! He must be freezing!" Elizabeth reprimanded her daughter.

 

Mac stepped aside and let Will get into the house before closing the door behind him. While her mother kissed his cheek and took his coat and the bag he was holding, Mac just looked at him, still astonished. Will turned to look at her and smiled. "You look stunning." He told her, admiring her plum cocktail dress and silver high-heeled Louboutins.

"Thanks." Mac replied. "You look great too."

"Happy Thanksgiving." Will said before kissing her cheek.

"Happy Thanksgiving."

 

The sweet moment between them was interrupted by a high-pitched voice asking to look at her. Elizabeth, who had been watching the scene, Will and Mac turned to look at Emily. Mac bursted out laughing while her mother shook her head amused at the scene in front of her eyes: Emily, dressed in her cute green dress, was wearing a pair of black heels - clearly not hers - on her little feet.

 

"I'm like Auntie Kenzie!" The girl happily exclaimed. Mac quickly grabbed Will's Blackberry from his pants pocket and took a picture before returning the phone to him and going to pick her niece up, leaving the shoes on the floor. Emily put her legs around Mac's waist and gave her aunt a floppy kiss.

 

"How the hell did you manage to walk down the stairs in those without falling down and breaking your neck?" Mac asked her, laughing.

"Mackenzie! Language!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Sorry." Mac muttered.

"I carried them in my hands." Emily explained.

 

Will looked at them, amused. Mac saw his grin and smiled at him. The doorbell rang again and Elizabeth opened the door while Will followed Mac and Emily to the den.

 

"Did you say hi to Will, Em?" Mac asked her niece.

"No." Emily replied, fidgeting on Mac's arms to be put down. Mac let her and she ran to Will. He knelt down when he saw her approaching.

Emily surprised him when she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hi Will!"

"Hi honey." Will told her.

 

Alexander chose that moment to walk into the room with David on his arms.

 

"Will! Glad to see you could make it!" He greeted Will while shacking his hand.

"Thank you for having me, sir." Will replied.

"Emily." He addressed his granddaughter. "Pick up your aunt's shoes and go upstairs. Your mother is waiting for you."

"Ok!" She said before running out of the room.

"Can I get you anything, Will?" Alexander asked. "A beer?"

"Perfect." Will told him.

"Wine, Mac?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"Ok. Take David while I get your drinks and help your mother with everything." He told her daughter. She took David from his arms. "I'll be right back."

 

Once they were left alone, Will smiled shyly at her. "Your mother asked me what my plans were. When I told her I didn't have any she told me to come." He told her, answering the question she had asked him before they'd been interrupted. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Mac told him. "I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting you."

 

They spent a minute in silence, neither of them knowing what to say or what to do. Finally, Will broke the ice. "It's just me or this is a bit awkward?"

Mac bursted out laughing first, closely followed by Will. "It is." She told him once she stopped laughing. "We are friends, right?" Mac asked Will. He nodded. "So we can have a lovely meal with my family as friends without it being awkward."

"We can."

 

They smiled at each other, happy to know they could do it. David, obvious about everything, looked at Will and suddenly extended his little arms towards him, making Mac nearly lose her grip on him.

 

"Wanna go with Billy, David?" She asked her nephew.

Will's face suddenly changed from a light grin to panic. "Mac, I'm not sure this is the best idea." He said, warily, but Mac, after a "Don't be silly!" put the child on his arms. At first, he stood there, quiet and a bit scared, until Mac guided him to the couch, made him sit down and helped him adjust the kid so he was sitting on his lap facing his aunt.

"It isn't like that you've never held a kid before, Billy." Mac teased Will, sitting next to him.

"Not this little." He grumbled.

"Billy is a grumpy old man, David." She said with that silly voice she loved to use with the little one.

"I am not." Will replied.

"You are."

 

Alexander returned with their drinks but quickly left them alone. In silence, Will took a sip from his beer while Mac drank some wine. They looked at each other and smiled, it was nice to share some time outside the newsroom.

 

"Hey." Will broke the silence. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It was my fault." Mac told him. "I was nervous and took it on you."

"I shouldn't have taken off my earpiece." He continued. "So, 50/50?"

"Fine."

 

Tom walked into the room but stopped to look at the scene in front of him. He took a moment to observe them: they were both smiling at each other. From the outside, you could see the love flowing between them even if they were too blind to see it. He tried to leave them alone for a few more minutes but his son spotted him.

 

"Dada!" David squealed.

 

Startled, Mac and Will turned to look at him. Will quickly left his beer on the table and got up to greet him but Tom saw the disappointed look on his sister's face before she lowered her eyes to look at her wine glass.

 

"Dinner's ready." Tom told them while picking his son from Will's arms.

"We'll be right there." Mac replied. Nodding, Tom left them alone. Mac got up, picked Will's beer and handed it to him. "Come on, let's go or we'll have to hear my mother's bickering." She said, walking past him but Will stopped her when he grabbed her hand.

"Hey." He softly said. "Are you ok?" He asked, concerned about her noticeable mood change.

"I'm fine." She smiled, trying to erase his worry.

"Not awkward, remember?" He said, returning the smile.

"I do."

 

Mac tried to free her hand but Will held onto it, firmly. She looked at him, startled, but he only smiled and guided her to the dinning room where her family was waiting for them. Hand in hand, they walked to the free seats, conveniently left together, one next to the other, and sat down along with the rest of the family. Once seated, following the McHale tradition, they closed their eyes and held hands while Alexander said grace. Mac, going along but never the one to follow that particular tradition, kept her eyes open and turned her head to the her right to look at Will. She found him with his eyes also open. Will raised their joined hands to gently kiss hers. They shared a loving look but quickly returned their sights to the table just before Alexander finished.

 

After everybody saying Happy Thanksgiving to the rest, they began to eat.


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't know how you can live in that tiny little flat." Elizabeth said to her daughter after taking a long sip from the drink in her hand.

 

They had finished their meal a while ago and, after putting the kids to bed for the night, the adults decided to enjoy a few drinks in the family room. Alexander and Elizabeth sat together on one couch while Tom and Sarah shared one of the love seats, leaving the other couch for Mac and Will. At first, they had hesitated but they had finally sat down together and relaxed themselves after finishing the second drink.

 

"I love my tiny little flat, Mum." Mac replied. "And it's not tiny." She murmured into her drink sounding like a petulant little kid. Everybody laughed and Mac was a bit offended.

"You could be living here." Alexander stepped in.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I like my apartment." Mac told her father.

"Apartment?" Tom laughed. "You're losing the British in you, M."

"I've lived most of my life here, Tommy."

 

The friendly squabbling between the siblings continued under the amused sights of the others present. Will watched them with a mixing between amusement and sadness. He had always enjoyed the companionship of the McHale family, they had welcomed him from the first day and they had never made him feel excluded. He knew that Mackenzie had explained to them why they had broken up but he also suspected, from the looks that Tom had been sending him during the night, that they also knew some of the things he had been putting her through that last two years. Even knowing that, they had welcomed him with open arms. He had never been close with his own family and the McHales always made him feel like part of their own. Watching them talk and interact made him think about the old times, moments before _the thing that happened_. During the time at the McHale's brownstone he had seen small pieces of the old Mackenzie he had forgotten about, the things that had made him fall in love with her all those years ago.

 

But then, just in that precise moment, he realized something: for the first time, in a long time, he hadn't thought of Brian and Mackenzie, he hadn't felt the betrayal and the angriness that usually went along when he thought about her, and that surprised him.

 

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation in the room after one of Alexander's stories, Will excused himself to go outside and clear his head. The others continued talking and taking small sips of their drinks yet he could feel Mac's worried eyes glued to his back while he left the room.

 

He opened the door to the backyard and stepped outside. He took out a cigarette from the pack he had in his pocket and lighted it up before walking to the table and sitting down on one of its chairs. He exhaled the smoke and sighed deeply, leaning back on the chair and closing his eyes. He felt guilty, somehow. Since she had come back, he'd seen a Mackenzie different from the one he knew before. He had assumed that the years and the experiences she had lived changed her but, after sharing a few hours with her and her family, he realized that she was mostly the same, she just subdued herself in front of him and it wasn't fair. In those last few hours he also realized that he hadn't been the only one hurt by _the thing that happened_ ; in her eyes, he could still see, even if she didn't know it, the love she felt for him. Yet, he had hurt her: first with the ring, then he punished her with Brian, thinking that she had heard the voicemail when she hadn't, and, even if he knew it, he continued hurting her by having a brief fling with Nina Howard. Sometimes, he didn't understand why she was still there, by his side, supporting him in everything he did.

 

_Because she loves you, you fucking idiot!_ He thought.

 

His musings were interrupted when someone opened the door. He looked at the cigarette in his hand and realized it was almost consumed and he had only taken a few drags. He stubbed it out and looked at Mackenzie, wrapped in her coat and standing in front of him, a worried look clouding her face.

 

"Hey." Mac softly said.

"Hey." Will replied.

"You ok?" She asked while sitting in the chair next to him, shivering a little bit.

"Yeah, just thinking." He told her, trying to ease her worries.

"About?"

"Nothing in particular."

"You're missing the embarrassing stories about my youth." Mac said, rubbing her hands to stay warm.

"Oh!" He laughed. "I don't wanna miss those."

"Let's go inside. It's freezing out here."

 

Will stood up and extended his hand to help her. Instead of walking inside, he pulled her into his arms, embracing her tightly. At first, Mac stood still, startled by his sudden display of affection, but she relaxed into his arms a few seconds later, enjoying the closeness. She hid her face on his neck and sighed deeply.

 

"Thank you." Will whispered.

"For what?" Mac asked, raising her head to look at him.

"For ..." He hesitated. "Well, just ... thank you, for everything." He said, not finding the proper words.

"Okay." She told him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I am." He smiled and assured her, breaking the hug to look at her. "Let's go, I wanna hear those stories."

 

* * *

 

They returned inside, regained their seats and joined the ongoing conversation. Elizabeth was delighted to share with Will embarrassing stories about her children while Alexander intervened at some points to correct her. Will and Sarah laughed along the older couple while both siblings groaned out loud, begging their mother to stop.

 

Before they knew it, the clock struck twelve. Tom and Sarah, said goodnight and retired to their room knowing that their kids liked to wake up early. Mackenzie's parents stayed a few more minutes with Mac and Will before announcing their intention to retire for the night. Will stood up and shook Alexander's hand, thanking him. Elizabeth surprised him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you came." She told him.

"Thank you for having me." Will replied.

"Are you staying tonight, darling?" Elizabeth asked her daughter.

"Yeah." Mac answered.

"Goodnight." Her parents told them.

"Night." Will and Mac replied at the same time.

 

They were left alone and, for a moment, they didn't know what to say or what to do. Will put his hands in his pockets and looked at Mac, nervous. "I should go." He stated.

"You don't have to." Mac quickly told him, without thinking. "I mean, I'm not going to sleep any time soon. Want a refill?" She asked, pointing to his empty glass on the coffee table.

"Sure." Will replied.

 

Mac got up to refill both of their glasses while Will sat down in the armchair next to the couch. Mac handed him his drink and, after kicking off her heels, made herself comfortable on the couch with her glass, her legs curled under her.

 

"Did you have a good time?" Mac softly asked him.

"I did. You have a wonderful family." Will replied.

"I miss them." She confessed. "Emily and David are growing up too fast and, even if Tom keeps me up to date, it's not the same."

"Do you regret not being with them?" He asked hesitantly.

"Sometimes." She told him. "But as much as I love and miss them, I wouldn't be entirely happy in London."

"Why?"

"Because, as cliché as it sounds, home is where the heart is and my heart is in New York."

 

Will wondered: Was she saying what he thought she was saying? "Mac ..." He began but she quickly interrupted him.

"Don't." She firmly said.

"Don't what?" He asked her, confused.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin the evening." She told him before emptying her glass with one big gulp.

 

Will left his seat and knelt in front of her, taking the glass from her hand and leaving it on the floor. He grabbed her hands between his own and looked at her. Her head was down, her hair hiding her face. Will reached to tuck a few strands behind her ear and raised her chin so he could see her eyes. What he saw broke his heart: she was scared. He knew he had to fix that, whatever it was. The hurt in her eyes made him finally realize how much his actions had affected her.

 

"I'm sorry." Will blurted out.

"Will ..." Mac began.

"No." He stopped her. "I'm sorry, I really am. I've been living in the past, it was easier to resent you than to admit to myself what I really feel. You hurt me five years ago but I've been hurting you for the last two and maybe, at some point, I thought you deserved it but I realized that nobody really deserves what I've been putting you through."

"I deserved it." Mac told him, lowering her eyes.

"No, no, no, no." Will quickly replied, getting up from the floor and sitting next to her. "Hey, look at me, please." He nearly begged. Mac complied, reluctantly. "You didn't, Mac, you didn't."

"What are you trying to say?" She asked him, confused.

"Can you forgive me?"

"Me?" Mac exclaimed.

"Yeah."

"I should be the one to ..." She quickly said but Will stopped her once again.

"No." He firmly told her. "You already did, numerous times. Sometime tonight I realized that I forgave you a long time ago, I just didn't want to acknowledge it. So, I am asking you if you can forgive me."

"Billy ..."

"You don't have to answer me tonight. Just think about it, ok?" He said. Knowing she needed time to think, he got up. He leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek and, after saying goodnight, Will left the room.

 

He was putting on his coat, ready to leave, when her voice calling his name stopped him. He turned around just in time to see her come running through the door. She was breathing hard and her legs were trembling. Will wanted to put her into his arms and assure her that everything would be alright but he didn't. Instead, he waited for her to talk.

 

Mac tried to calm herself down before she simply said "Yes."

 

Will's mouth formed a huge smile. He saw her slowly approach him, hesitantly, until she stood just in front of him, their bodies almost touching. Mac grabbed his hand and looked directly to his eyes. "If you can, I can." She tearily smiled at him.

 

Without a second thought, he pulled her into his arms, her face buried in his chest. "Can we do this?" Mac asked, her words muttered.

"Start again?" He hopefully asked.

"Yeah."

"We'll never forget what happened but we can move on, Mac. We're different, life and circumstances changed us. We won't make the same mistakes we once did."

"Are you sure? Because I can't get my hopes up and then have you changing your mind Billy, it would break me apart." She told him, looking directly at his eyes.

"I'm sure." He reassured her. "I love you, Mackenzie."

"Oh my god." She whispered, burring her face into his chest again, her hands holding his coat tight, a few tears escaping her closed eyes.

"I love you." He repeated, his fingers gently caressing her hair. "I love you."

"I love you too."

 

Slowly, she raised her head from his chest to look at him. For one single moment, she expected to see some hesitation in his eyes but she only found love. "I love you too." Mac told him again.

 

Their lips met, tentatively at first, but they quickly transformed the soft peck into a profound passionate kiss. They would have continued forever but the need for air overcame them. With their foreheads touching, they gasped and smiled at each other. Mac arms moved to encircle his neck while his went around her waist, pulling her as close as possible. Will kissed her again, both enjoying the feeling of their lips together, a feeling they had never truly forgotten.

 

"Stay with me tonight." Mac said against his lips.

"I would love to but not tonight." Will replied, tightening his arms around her. He saw the disappointed look on her face and it crushed him. "I'm not changing my mind, you're stuck with me, forever. But I want to do everything properly this time."

"So we're taking things slowly." Mac said, understanding him.

"Yes."

"But not too slowly, ok?" She teased him.

"Ok." He laughed before kissing him again. "Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Mac asked, amused.

"I am." He grinned.

"Ok."

"Ok."

"Give me another kiss." Mac told him.

 

Will gladly complied, claiming her lips into another passionate kiss, neither of them wanting to let go. At the end, Will made the decision both.

 

"I should go, before I change my mind and take you upstairs against my better judgement." Will explained, releasing her from his arms. Mac opened the door for him and he stepped outside while she leant against the doorframe. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting." She replied, smiling. "Love you."

"I love you too."

 

Will turned to leave but Mac grabbed his hand, turning him around to capture his lips one last time. After the quick kiss, she ran her hands down his coat and grinned at him.

 

"Now you can leave."

 

Will grinned too and waited for Mac to close the door to leave.

 

Mac, with an smile still on her face, went to the family room to gather her shoes and her Blackberry before walking up the stairs to her room. She closed the door behind her and changed out of her dress and into her pajamas. She had just gotten herself under the covers when her Blackberry vibrated on the nightstand. Her heart melted when she read Will's message: _Yours. Forever. I love you_.

 

She quickly typed _I love you too_ and sent the message. Then, truly happy for the first time in years, she turned off the lights and closed her eyes.

 

 

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's done!!  
> Thank you all for your support :)


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